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The scene last week on the steps of Fort Myers City Hall set the world back 50 years.

A group of black community leaders came to review public records. They left feeling as if they had to ride in the back of the bus again.

Deputy City Clerk Denise Yingling first called the police on the group after the media started videotaping the proceedings. She then gave them a personal goodbye that resulted in her being suspended with pay.

“She said, ‘You can kiss my ass,’” said Willie Battle, 65, who has filed a written complaint with the city. “Hatred and bigotry had to be in her to do something this extreme.”

Anthony Thomas, who is part of a group called Citizens for a Better Fort Myers Government, couldn’t believe his ears. Thomas called the remark “extreme racism.” Yingling is white.

But don’t look for Carletha Griffin, the Lee County NAACP president, to speak out. She’s on the city’s payroll.

Thomas is surprised Yingling didn’t get fired on the spot.

“They say they have to do a proper investigation, but if this was a black woman that said this to prominent white leaders, there wouldn’t be an investigation,” Thomas said.

Yingling’s comment ended what was supposed to be the group’s pitch for a citizen’s review board. Accompanied by the media, the group wanted to review lawsuits filed in the past five years that alleged brutality on the part of the Fort Myers Police Department. Yingling took offense when the TV crews started filming.

“Turn off the cameras,” Yingling said.

But Fox-4 News cameras kept rolling and caught Yingling mocking Thomas. In the footage, Yingling moved her lips and shook her hips in a sarcastic manner behind Thomas’ back.

An assistant city attorney was summoned, and he said it was OK for the media to be present. But after he left, Yingling threatened to call the police and did so, according to Thomas and Battle.

Fort Myers City Attorney Grant Alley said the media has every right, like any other citizen, to review the file. He called Friday’s incident “unfortunate.”

Adria Harper with The First Amendment Foundation in Tallahassee wasn’t surprised that the incident took a hostile turn.

“It sounds like they were annoyed that the TV cameras showed up with this group,” Harper said. “But sometimes it has to turn ugly to get what you want.”

Ugly is a perfect description. Black or white, no one should be treated by a city employee in this fashion. The laws are black and white, especially in Florida.

And where is the NAACP? Shouldn’t they be in an uproar asking for Yingling to be fired?

Griffin said, “We don’t address every situation.”

Maybe she meant to say she doesn’t address every situation concerning the city of Fort Myers. Griffin is a paid consultant to the Fort Myers Police Department, earning $3,000 a month, according to public records.

Yingling isn’t the only one who should resign. Griffin should resign from her NAACP post. But she proves everything isn’t black and white. Green still controls the world. And it’s a world that continues to regress.

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E-mail Tom Hanson at tahanson @bonitanews.com.